1. Field
The present embodiment storage tubes and, more particularly, to a storage tube with side gussets.
2. Related Developments
Semi-rigid storage tubes have been used often in cosmetic, food and pharmaceutical application. Oftentimes, they are used as convenient ways to store and dispense a viscous liquid. Tubes are also often used because they provide a barrier to fats, oils, moisture, oxygen or light, while remaining flexible enough for easy dispensing of the product within, for example, through squeezing of a liquid through a fitment. Tubes are often comprised of a tube body portion that is often comprised of a generally thick gauge film. Oftentimes, the films used to form the tube body are often 8 or more thousands of an inch thick. Common materials used to form these films include polypropylene, high density polyethylene, polystyrene or other similar film materials. The thicker gauge films are often important because they allow the tube body to maintain its shape, especially inverted standing tubes, while the product inside diminishes with use.
It is desirable to have a storage tube which may use a thinner gauge film to form the tube body. For instance, a thinner gauge film allows for reduced material costs in manufacture and also for more efficient tube utilization. A thinner gauge material also allows for improvements in printing on the material, for example, making it easier to print on a larger portion of the body than would be possible for a thicker and more rigid material, or allowing for reverse printing on the material as well as allowing for 360 degree print graphics. A thinner gauge material may also allow for less costly transportation due to the reduced weight. A thinner gauge material may also allow for less costly transportation due to the reduced weight. A thinner gauge material may also help fulfill environmental sustainability goals by using less packaging material and producing less waste. Finally, thinner gauge materials allow for more complete product evacuation than similar rigid or semi-rigid containers. Because the material is flexible and thin, product can be almost completely squeezed out of a tube formed from flexible films, whereas up to 15% of product can be left inside similar rigid or semi-rigid containers depending on the viscosity of the product.